Gritters on stand-by across Coventry and Warwickshire to stop roads melting

They aren't just used for snow!



Gritters are on stand-by across Coventry and Warwickshire to stop roads melting in sizzling weather. When temperatures break the 30C for a prolonged period of time, roads are at risk of starting to melt.

With predictions of the mercury rising way past 30C on Monday (July 18) and Tuesday (July 19), both Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council have said they have their fleet of gritters poised to hit the streets.

If called into action, they won't be showering the streets with grit. Instead, it will be stone dust .

This is because stone dust soaks up excess tar and reduces the chances of road surfaces melting by reflecting a larger amount of the sun’s rays. While road temperatures are being closely monitored, Warwickshire County Council is asking asking residents to help and report any issues to them

Councillor Wallace Redford, cabinet member for transport and planning at Warwickshire County Council, added: "Our gritting fleet does a fantastic job keeping Warwickshire’s residents safe and the network running throughout the winter months. Many residents may be surprised to see them out at the height of summer, but their work at this time of year, preventing costly damage to the roads of Warwickshire is no less important than their cold-weather work and all contributes to ensuring our residents are supported through excellent transport infrastructure.”

A spokesperson for Coventry City Council said they too had their fleet on stand-by.

"We don’t expect this to be a significant issue but we do have drivers available on stand-by so that we can react if needed," the spokesman said. Issues with melting roads in Warwickshire can be reported online here.

I have worked in countries where heat is a real problem. They don't have issues with melting roads, they don't have issues with failed road repairs. Maybe, they do things properly and not on the cheap?

Incidentally, most cars manufactured for the UK market will only have been tested up to 30C. A prolonged hot spell might be interesting

They weren't very successful apparently?

Coventry road starts to 'melt and bubble' as temperatures reach record high



A Coventry road started to melt on Monday as record-breaking temperatures blasted the city. Residents noticed parts of Longford Road starting to 'bubble and melt' on Monday evening (July 18).

Extreme heat can melt road surfaces making them 'tacky and dangerous' for vehicles to drive on. Gritting crews are on standby to step in and spread a light coating of stone dust over the surface of hot roads.

Officials say stone dust soaks up excess tar and reduces the chances of road surfaces melting by reflecting a larger amount of rays from the blistering sun.

A nearby resident told CoventryLive : “I went to get into my car and as I crossed the road I heard a sticky noise from the cars coming past. It looked like the Tarmac was sticking to the tyres.

“As I looked closer, I realised that the heat had actually melted the tarmac. It made it so soft the Tarmac was coming off on drivers' car tyres.”

Another said: “Good to see the newly resurfaced Longford Road from Tesco Bridge up to Longford has melted. No surface now other than black tar.”

Tarmac melting can have dangerous consequences for motorists leading to serious road accidents. AA said that when the road surface gets hot, the tar will start to melt or soften and as traffic uses it, the road will start to develop ridges and ruts like a mud track.

Braking and steering can be affected, and for those on motorbikes, it is extremely dangerous. In some cases, the melting road surface could coat tyres and cause significant damage to vehicles.

AA said reducing speed and staying clear of the car in front is the only effective counter-measure as the heatwave continues to sweep the nation.